Kaunas Castle

Kaunas Castle was built in 1360-1362 in a place of an ancient village (X-XII c.c.) near the junction of great Lithuania rivers the Nemunas and the Neris. It was the first brick-laid castle in Lithuania and it was the oldest castle type building in Gothic style in the Great Dukedom of Lithuania. It had an A-line layout, internal and external walls and 2 towers above the corners of the latter ones; in addition it was surrounded by a defensive trench. In 1362 the castle was destroyed by the army of Teutonic Order. In 1402-1408 another brick-laid castle arose above the ruins of the old one and a part of this castle has survived until now. The yard of the castle was surrounded by a strong 3,5 metres thick wall; above the corners the castle had 4 towers – 2 round and 2 square ones. In the second half of XVI c.c. the castle was strengthened with brick-laid artillery bastion, which surrounded one the round towers (still extant one). In XVII – XVIII c.c. the castle was strongly destroyed by floods of the Neris. Now in a still extant (cured) round tower of the castle Kaunas Region Tourism Information Centre is situated.

Interesting! The construction of the castle began in the same 1361 when Kaunas city was mentioned in written sources for the first time.